Conventionally, there has been an input system which enables a user to point to a position on a screen of a display device by turning an operation device to the screen. For example, a technique has been known in which an attitude of an operation device is calculated based on a result of detection performed by a gyro sensor, and either of two screens is pointed to based on the calculated attitude.
In the above-mentioned technique, the attitude of the operation device itself is calculated. For this purpose, data obtained from both an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor are used. That is, the technique adopts a configuration in which a plurality of sensors such as an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor are included in the operation device. In this regard, there is room for improvement in simplifying the configuration of the operation device itself.
Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments to provide a game system which can realize game processing in which two screens placed in different directions are appropriately used, by using a simple-configuration operation device.
In order to attain the feature described above, for example, the following configuration examples are exemplified.
A configuration example is a game system which performs a predetermined game process, based on a position that is pointed to, on a screen of a display, by an operation device including a predetermined motion sensor, and the game system includes a first display device, a second display device, an attitude calculation section, a determination section, a pointing processing section, and a game processing section. The first display device is placed so that a display screen thereof faces in a direction along a gravity direction axis. The second display device is placed so that a display screen thereof faces in a direction along a predetermined axis direction perpendicular to the gravity direction axis. The attitude calculation section calculates an attitude of the operation device, based on data outputted from the motion sensor. The determination section determines which of the screen of the first display device and the screen of the second display device is pointed to by the operation device, based on the attitude calculated by the attitude calculation section. The pointing processing section performs a process of pointing to a predetermined position on either the screen of the first display device or the screen of the second display device, based on a result of the determination by the determination section. The game processing section performs the predetermined game process, based on the position pointed to by the pointing processing section.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to perform a game process in which two screens are appropriately used, by using an operation device of a simple configuration that includes, for example, only an acceleration sensor as a sensor for detecting a motion. In particular, since the operation device need not include a plurality of motion sensors, the above configuration is advantageous in cost of the operation device. Further, since the direction of the operation device can be determined by a simple determination process without performing complicated calculation for calculating the attitude of the operation device, reduction in processing load can be achieved.
In another configuration example, the determination section may be configured to determine whether the attitude of the operation device calculated by the attitude calculation section is: a first attitude in which, among outer surfaces of a casing of the operation device, a surface that is opposed to or substantially opposed to the display screen of the first display device or the display screen of the second display device when a player points to the display screen, faces in a direction along the gravity direction axis or a direction substantially along the gravity direction axis; or a second attitude in which the surface that is opposed to or substantially opposed to the display screen faces in a direction along a predetermined axis direction perpendicular to the gravity direction axis or a direction substantially along the predetermined axis direction. The determination section may determine, when the attitude of the operation device is the first attitude, that the operation device points to the first display device, and determine, when the attitude of the operation device is the second attitude, that the operation device points to the second display device. In addition, the motion sensor may be an acceleration sensor, and the attitude calculation section may be configured to determine the attitude of the operation device, based on acceleration data obtained from the acceleration sensor.
According to the configuration example, it is possible to determine, based on the acceleration data, which of the two screens is pointed to by the operation device. Thereby, it is possible to provide a game in which two screens are appropriately used, by using the operation device of the simple configuration.
In another configuration example, the operation device further includes an image pickup section. The game system further includes marker sections provided corresponding to the plurality of display devices, respectively. Each of the marker sections is installed such that its direction is the same as the direction of the screen of the display device corresponding to the marker section. The pointing processing section includes a pointed position calculation section configured to calculates a pointed position on the screen, based on the position of the marker section in an image captured by the image pickup section. In addition, each of the marker sections includes a light emitting member. The game system further includes a lighting control section configured to control lighting of the marker sections. The first display device is a display device that stores, in its casing, the marker section. The second display device is a television, and the marker section corresponding to the television is installed in the vicinity of the television.
According to the above configuration example, in the game system that calculates the pointed position on the screen by capturing the marker with the operation device, a game in which two screens placed in different directions are appropriately used can be provided by a simple configuration.
In another configuration example, the game processing section causes a player to perform a predetermined operation on the operation device in the state where the operation device is pointing to the screen of the first display device, thereby to perform a game process in which a predetermined object displayed on the screen of the first display device is taken by the operation device. Thereafter, the game processing section causes the player to perform a predetermined operation in the state where the operation device is pointing to the second display device, thereby to perform a game process in which the object is moved into and displayed on the screen of the second display device. In addition, the game processing section may further include: an attitude change detection section configured to detect change in the attitude of the operation device, during a period from when the game process in which the predetermined object displayed on the screen of the first display device is taken by the operation device is performed to when the player performs the predetermined operation in the state where the operation device is pointing to the second display device; a parameter change section configured to change a predetermined parameter associated with the predetermined object, in accordance with a result of the detection by the attitude change detection section; and a reflection section configured to, when the predetermined object is displayed on the screen of the second display device, reflect the parameter changed by the parameter change section, in the display of the object.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to provide a new game in which the player is caused to perform a dynamic action, by using the two screens.
According to the exemplary embodiment, it is possible to perform a game process in which two screens are appropriately used by using an operation device of a simple configuration.